Work: the Shortcut to Creativity

I've been participating in this 31 Days of Blogging Challenging for four years now.  This year I wasn't sure I  could/would participate. But I've learned that it jump starts me creatively.  It gets me thinking, and that's the first step of creativity.  I went back and read some of my old posts and they read smarter or wiser than I feel now.  I found a post about Henry Miller's quote from his program for writing.   

Here are Henry Miller's Commandments for Writing:

1. Work on one thing at a time until finished.
2. Start no more new books, add no more new material to "Black Spring."
3. Don't be nervous. Work calmly, joyously, recklessly on whatever is in hand.
4. Work according to Program and not according to mood. Stop at the appointed time!
5. When you can't create you can work.
6. Cement a little every day, rather than add new fertilizers.
7. Keep human! See people, go places, drink if you feel like it.
8. Don't be a draught-horse! Work with pleasure only.
9. Discard the Program when you feel like it-but go back to it the next day.Concentrate. Narrow down. Exclude.
10. Forget the books you want to write. Think only of the book you are writing.
11. Write first and always. Painting, music, friends, cinema, all these come afterwards.

A lot of these "commandments"apply to any kind of creative venture, whether you are a writer, a visual artist or musician.  But my favorite is number 5.    

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